Improvement in cars for carrying petroleum



UNITED S'IEAJIE's-V PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CLARK, or ronfrmo, MIoHreAN.

IMPRovEMi-:N'r IN cARSFoRcARRvING PE'rRoLEuM.

Specification forming/part of Letters-Patent No. 136,8 13, dated March 18, 1873.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CLARK, of Ponf tiac, in the county of Oakland and State'of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cars for Carrying Petroleum; and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in whichg i.

Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section through the center of my improved car and tank. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tank, with a portion of the metallic top broken away to show the interior construction, and a larg-A er portion of the wooden coveringbroken awa v.

Like letters refer to like parts in each figure. 1

The nature of my invention relates to an improvement in the construction of vtanks to be placed ou flat cars for containing petroleum to be transported by railway, and is morefespecially intended as an improvement on the tank for which Letters Patent numbered 40,468 were issued to me November 3,1863; reissue numbered 4,788, dated March 5, 1872; The object of this improvement is to strength@A en the sheet-metal tank on the inner sides, and to support the wooden cover or decksoy that the car which carries the tank maybe used for carrying heavy articles as return freight, as well as to cheapen the cost of construction. The invention consists initting the interior of the tank with a framing of crossed timbers which partition it into a number of cells or compartments, all of which, however, communicate with each other. vThe metallic top of the tank rests on the upper edges of these timbers, and on it is placed the wooden cover or deck, which is supported by the said frame-work, so that it may carrya heavy load in returning-to the oil-shipping point, which simplifies and cheapens the con-4 struction of the tank for which the aforesaid Letters Patent were'lissued. y Y

In the drawing, A represents the platform or deck of an ordinary platform or flat car. 0n this deck I place a tight sheet-metal tank, B, of which B' is the cover, provided with a screw-capped filling-spout, C. 'D is a series of l longitudinal two-inch planks set on edge With-A series of cross-timbers, halved or mortised into the timbers D at right angles, and extending from side to side of the tank, thus subdividing the tank into a number of small compartments, all of which communicate with each other, so that the oil may be drawn off through a single cock in the bottom. After this framing is in place, I secure the sheetmetal'top or cover B' to the sides of the tank. E is a wooden deck or cover with pendent sides and ends, to slip down over the tank B and rest on its cover B', but is sustained by the frame-work D D', the bottom of the tank being interposed between the lower edges of said frame-work, and the cover B' is in like manner interposed between theupper edges of said frame-work and the cover E, so that any weight placed on the latter will be supported by the frame-work. w

By referring to the reissued Letters Patent aforesaid, it will be seen that the tank therein shown and described, is provided with a series of sheet-metal or other light partitions, and on top of the tank-cover is a wooden frame-work for supporting the wooden deck. Under this improved form of construction I dispense with the metallic partitions within the tank, and the frame-work above it I place within the tank, which reduces the height of the deck above ground, causes the car to run steadier with a load on deck, strengthens the tank so that lighter iron can be used in its construction, and lessens the cost of construction.

The cover B' has an opening through which theiilling-spout C projects. sides of the metallic tank are protected by the pendent ends and sides of the wooden cover,

which remains in place until the tank is re moved from the car.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

The tank B B', provided with the internal wooden frame-work D D', and inclosed by the cover E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN CLARK. Witnesses: f

H. F. EBERTs, H. S. SPRAGUE.

The ends and 'I 

